text:
7 Trends Shaping Gas Station Profitability in 2019
Gas station owners operate in a highly competitive environment, where profits fluctuate wildly. It’s important to stay on top of the fuel marketing industry’s latest trends to seize the hottest opportunities for your retail gas and diesel operations.
Oil Express just released a free special report on the Top 15 Petroleum Marketing Trends of 2019. We dive into what major brands are up to, what’s attracting customers into stations and what potential risks you need to monitor to keep your customers and business safe. Here’s a sample of some of the things you’ll learn.
1. Big Oil Returns to Retail
Three majors – Chevron, Motiva and BP – entered retail fuel ventures with jobbers in 2018. BP also launched a chain of new-to-industry stores starting with a 3,100-square-foot ampm with eight fuel pumps in Rancho Cordova, Calif. Andeavor began converting some multi-site-operator stations back to company-operated sites, this time with a bigger, more sophisticated store model. On the heels of those conversions, Marathon Petroleum Corp. announced it would purchase Andeavor. MPC has aggressive plans to expand Speedway LLC, its company-op chain, both through acquisition and new-builds.
2. Major Brands Continue Slide in Fuel Sales
While some majors are returning to fuel ventures, the percentage of fuel sold under a major oil brand sank to at least a nine-year low in the annual survey that SIGMA conducts of its members, continuing a slide that’s been underway for at least five years. Only slightly over a third – 34.5% – of the fuel that respondents sold was retailed under a major brand, according to the 2018 SIGMA Statistical Report, which is based on 2017 statistics. The most recent drop was steeper than past decreases, although the data can be skewed based on which companies respond to the survey in a given year. The ratio of major brand outlets to private brand outlets in the SIGMA survey also dropped to just 36.1%, though in prior years that annual figure has not consistently shown decreases.
There’s more on the retail real estate front. Download Oil Express’ Top 15 Petroleum Marketing Trends for 2019 to see who is grabbing market share in M&As.
3. Crime Wave Continues
The number of robberies at convenience stores and gas stations rose for the fourth-straight year, even as the overall number of robberies in the United States declined in 2017, according to the latest federal statistics. The two classes of retailers, along with the category “commercial house,” were the only three of the FBI’s seven classifications to see increases last year, according to the FBI’s 2017 Crime in the U.S. report.
4. Marketers Hit with Ransomware
The overall number of U.S. ransomware incidents doubled this year, as well as last year, and ransomware was found in 39% of data breaches in which malware was identified, according to Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report. Some 58% of breach victims were small businesses, Verizon said. As part of the energy infrastructure, retail gasoline and diesel sellers are vulnerable to cyberattacks. Anecdotally, some consultants and insurance professionals have said petroleum marketers have been victimized by ransomware, in which a criminal uses malware that blocks access to the company’s data and demands a ransom.
There’s a specific type of credit card fraud petroleum markets and gas station operators need to monitor. Find out what it is in Oil Express’ Top 15 Petroleum Marketing Trends for 2019.
5. Gasoline Loses Ground as a Traffic Builder
The number of c-stores that sell fuel declined for the third-straight year and the percentage of total c-stores that dispense fuel dropped for the last four years, according to the 2018 NACS/Nielsen Convenience Industry Store Count. NACS said the decline in the number of c-stores selling fuel suggests the industry is focusing more on in-store, food service offers, as well as on new store formats, including establishing brands in more urban, walk-up locations.
6. Brand Loyalty Programs Move to Next Generation
Programs are evolving as competition heats up between brands. The coalition loyalty program Plenti – involving ExxonMobil – folded. But another loyalty solution from FIS offering gas discounts to members of financial institution rewards programs is growing. Marathon canceled its proprietary rewards credit cards, but Shell debuted rewards credit cards tied to the Fuel Rewards Program, a coalition loyalty program administered by Excentus. BP teamed up with United Airlines as a rewards partner and Marathon joined Southwest Airlines, La Quinta Inns, and the Arbor Day Foundation to form a new rewards program.
Food services are the Big Kahuna when it comes to diversification. But there’s a growing profit center that could help set your station apart from the crowd. Find out more here.
7. EVs Are Energized
The Fuels Institute sees plug-in electric vehicles as a niche segment unlikely to seize a large share of the U.S. new vehicle market anytime soon and believes much of the positive press about EVs to be hype. But some industry pioneers said they are dabbling in EV charging stations, partnering with several charging networks that only require the merchant to provide a couple of parking spaces. They pay for the equipment, installation and utilities. If EVs take off, stores that have chargers become a destination. At the NACS show, dispenser-maker Gilbarco Veeder-Root announced that it had made a minority investment in Tritium, a privately held EV charging manufacturer, and displayed a fast-charging unit at its exhibit.
There’s much more to learn when you download Top 15 Petroleum Marketing Trends of 2019, just released from Oil Express. These are trends your competitors will be monitoring. Make sure you aren’t left in the dark.


text:
- 2 updates
Today's Gok Wan is the multi-talented, fashion consultant, cook, author and for the first time this Christmas, star of Panto.
But that follows a very different childhood which included being picked on for being mixed race, tall, overweight and gay.
Facing and dealing with the prejudices that went hand in hand has enabled Gok to offer comfort and advice, particularly to women throughout the country.
He's been in the region promoting his new cookery book, and saying hi to some of his many fans.
Despite this, Gok still had time to talk to ITV News Anglia's Jonathan Wills.
Click below to watch Gok's full interview with Jonathan
Gok Wan has been in the region to talk about his new cook book.
The tv fashion guru turned, cook, author and for the first time this Christmas, star of Panto has been speaking to fans at a signing in Norwich.
You can watch our extended interview with Gok on tonight's programme at 18:00 on ITV, and you'll also be able to view it in full right here.

domain: news


text:
Egypt’s winter opening hours for shops, restaurants and cafes have begun on Friday in implementation of the decision of the Local Development Ministry which covers, workshops, handicrafts and commercial malls.
The Local Development Ministry instructed governorates not to be lenient in applying winter working hours, especially in light of the state’s plan to rationalize electricity consumption.
The ministry formed a central operations room to follow up on the implementation of the winter opening hours, and directed the heads of centers, cities, neighborhoods and villages to activate follow-up committees and campaigns on all shops to ensure that their owners adhere to the announced timings – and punish any violators.
The shops and their working hours:
- Shops and malls open daily from seven am, and close at 10 pm.
- The hours are extended on Thursdays, Fridays, and official holidays to close at 11 pm.
- Restaurants, cafes and bazaars, including those in commercial malls, open daily from five am and close at 12 pm.
- Takeaway and home delivery services for restaurants and cafes 24 hours a day.
- All workshops and handicraft shops located inside residential quarters open daily from eight am, and close at six pm.
- Workshops located on the roads and gas stations, and the workshops associated with urgent services for the citizen are excluded from the limits to opening hours.
- Grocery stores, supermarkets and bakeries are excluded from the limits to opening hours.
- The opening hours for shops located in the coastal governorates may be modified by a decision of the Local Development Minister based on the proposal of the Governor.


text:
Global Tel is among the companies that were introduced into the market recently so that they could serve the inmates who are serving their terms in jail. The company has been offering the inmates both technology and communication platforms, it has been so successful in the private sector. The company management has been instrumental in the successful GTL has been experiencing in the recent times. According to a recent report, consumers say that they love the quality services they receive from the private firm.
Although the company has won the hearts of the inmates in the United States, it is currently experiencing some problems. Not long ago, the top management announced that the company was upset about the new rates that were being proposed by FCC. According to the management, the rates are unjustified, and they are not fair to the company owners who have been spending billions just to make sure that they offer the inmates the best services. Despite these challenges, the company has been doing quite well.
Global Tel is now calling on all the companies serving in the private industry to join hands and present a case in court so that they can dismiss the rates that are issued by the FCC. The institution believes that if these rates are implemented, the inmates will have a rough time trying to communicate with their families and loved ones who are not close by. Without communication, the prisoners will never get the experience they deserve.
FCC, on its defense, states that the rates the private companies have been charging the inmates is too high and unaffordable to the people who are living in the prisons. For the people who are living outside the prison facilities, the rates are way cheaper and affordable to the communities. This is why the companies in the communication sector should reduce the cost of making calls to the inmates.


text:
Peacock may launch without Roku or Amazon Fire TV. NBC Comcast's Peacock is the latest entrant into the "streaming wars" and like AT&T's HBO Max before it, the new service could very well launch. Peacock isn't on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, entrenching a battle line. NBC's streaming app, like HBO Max before it, isn't available on the devices people stream to TVs most.
Comcast currently doesn't have a deal with Amazon, which means there's no Peacock app on Fire TV that will allow you to effortlessly watch shows as a Peacock subscriber.
Peacock app fire tv. Peacock is the American online video-on-demand streaming service owned by NBC Universal.Peacock offers 15,000 hours of video-on-demand streaming content to the users which includes movies, TV shows, series, NBC originals, and many more. This streaming service new is a competitor to the streaming service like Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, HBO Go, Dplay & more. How to Install Peacock TV app on FireStick / Fire TV? Since the Peacock TV app is not available in the Amazon App Store. We need to sideload the app using the Download app. If you don’t have the app, just install Downloader app for FireStick and then follow the steps below to install the Peacock TV App. Step 1: Go to Settings on your FireStick. Unfortunately, Peacock is not currently available on Amazon Fire TV. However, there’s workaround for those with devices thanks to Peacock support of Google Cast. On your Fire TV device you will first need to install a third-party app like AllCast or TV Cast. Click here to sign-up for Peacock; Install the Peacock iOS App or Peacock Android App.
Peacock Streaming App Isn't Available On Roku Or Amazon Fire TV Peacock is latest streaming service, but two of the most popular platforms aren't carrying it. By Dan Auty on August 3, 2020 at 2. Peacock, NBC's new streaming service, is not yet available in the official Amazon Appstore. It's a shame, because while the service has a paid premium subscription, there's actually free content available. Fortunately, canceling the official app works well on Fire TVs, so here's a quick guide on how to install Peacock on any Amazon Fire … This article provides a step-by-step guide that will show you how to install the Peacock TV App on Firestick/Fire TV, Android, and iOS devices.. Peacock TV is a streaming service that hosts NBC’s original programming as well as movies and sports specials.
Thankfully, sideloading the official app works fine on Fire TVs, so here is a quick guide on how to install Peacock on any Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Cube, or Fire TV Edition television. Install the Downloader app, available from the Amazon Appstore, onto your Fire TV. While Roku devices natively support Google Cast, and Amazon Fire TV can with a third-party app, the Peacock App has blocked casting to Roku streaming players and Fire TV devices. Become a Streaming Insider. Get insider tips, top news stories, and the best streaming deals in your inbox every week. Watch TV shows and movies online with Peacock. Stream iconic shows and movies, exclusive Peacock originals, live news and sports and more.
NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service is a week away from launching nationwide and the service has yet to secure a deal with Amazon Fire TV or Roku. What’s more, recent comments from Peacock’s Matt Strauss suggests a deal is unlikely to be done in time. Peacock is already available to select Comcast Xfinity customers.However, the service has July 15 set for a nationwide launch in the. Peacock is the new NBCUniversal streaming video service launching July 15, but without Roku or Amazon Fire TV app support. Peacock is available on many other streaming platforms, including Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but those products are used by a much smaller slice of streamers.
The Peacock app will be on all Apple platforms (including Apple TV), Google’s Android and Chromecast mobile and TV devices, Vizio and LG smart TVs, and the Microsoft-powered Xbox One platform. The Peacock app will launch on PlayStation 4 after July 20, but it's unclear when the app will arrive on Roku or Amazon Fire TV products. Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices are also currently missing. The Peacock app is free to download on your phone or TV, but prices vary across the service, which has three tiers. The totally free option, Peacock TV Free, is ad-supported and offers users.
The AllCast for Fire TV app enables Chromecast and DLNA support on all current-gen Fire TV devices, including the Firestick. Since the official Peacock app on Android and iOS lets you cast content on devices with Chromecast built-in, you can use the AllCast app on Firestick to watch live and on-demand content from Peacock’s streaming library. NBC's Peacock App Isn't On Roku Or Amazon Fire TV Yet Peacock is latest streaming service, but two of the most popular platforms aren't carrying it. By Dan Auty on July 15, 2020 at 8:28AM PDT


text:
Schema.org has just launched its new markup validator tool which allows businesses to validate their structured data directly through their website.
Previously, businesses would validate their website markup with Google’s rich results tool which would only show you the Google supported structured data. However, Google has recently announced that their tool will be moving to within the Schema.org property.
This update will make it much quicker and easier for businesses to validate their markup, without having to go to multiple tools. The Schema.org tool also offers more support for businesses by helping you debug data, not only Google supported data.
The new Schema.org validator tool is now live and ready for businesses to use.


text:
In the fall of 2016, Nereus worked hand-in-hand with a newly-formed association to launch their website and publicly announce the organization.
Along with distribution of the press release, the Nereus team targeted top tier tech industry publications and arranged and managed more than 20 press and analyst briefings, resulting in 90 articles. The team also created social media elements for the client, to amplify the announcement and increase awareness within the ecosystem.
Following the successful launch, Nereus is continuing to work with the consortium, developing marketing and promotional materials and managing social and traditional media engagement.
Leave a Reply


text:
PT. AKR Corporindo, Tbk
Jakarta, 31st August 2023 –PT AKR Corporindo Tbk (IDX Stock Code: AKRA.IJ) today announced that Sichuan Hebang Biotechnology Co. (Hebang) leading Chinese listed company which integrates chemical, photovoltaic and mineral products has signed binding agreement (CSPA) with PT Berkah Kawasan Manyar Sejahtera (BKMS) subsidiary of AKRA for purchase of land to set up Petrochemical manufacturing plant in SEZ- Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate (JIIPE-SEZ);
Hebang in its announcement dated August 30, 2023, disclosed that plans to invest US Dollars 800 million in the project, to build a Petro chemical plant on the land measuring 67 hectares in JIIPE-SEZ, mainly for the production of Sodium carbonate, Ammonium chloride and Glyphosate and other products. At the same time, Hebang signed a Term Sheet with PT AKR Corporindo Tbk (AKRA), to establish a joint venture company which will be the investment, construction and operation entity for the project in Indonesia with proposed ownership of 90% of the shares by Hebang ( or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries), and AKRA (or any of its affiliates or subsidiaries) shall hold 10% of the shares in the Joint Venture Company.


text:
USMEF: 2022 A Good Year For Beef Exports
After recording huge numbers in 2021, beef export figures came back to earth in November 2022. But the news is far from bad, according to U.S. Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom. He noted while beef exports were down year-over-year in November, several markets set new yearly value records in just 11 months.
“Korea, China/Hong Kong and Taiwan lead the way there. The other thing of note here is that the Asian markets, the last couple of months, have been performing relatively well given some of the headwinds, not the least of which is the strong U.S. dollar. We were a little bit worried about November, just because of the strong dollar and in the case of Korea, China/Hong Kong and Taiwan, it's kind of still kind of proved us wrong that the demand is still outweighing some of these headwinds.”
Halstrom added that through November U.S. beef exports reached nearly $11 billion for the year, already eclipsing the $10.6 billion annual record set the previous year, with one month still to be counted. Halstrom added, thanks primarily to Mexico, exports of U.S. pork saw continued growth in November, posting the largest volume and value numbers of the year.
If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-9791, or e-mail email@example.com


text:
PARAMUS, N.J., Jan 10, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Movado Group, Inc. /quotes/zigman/160022/delayed/quotes/nls/mov MOV -0.23% announced today that the Company will be presenting at the at the 15th Annual ICR XChange Conference, held at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach in Miami Beach, Florida on Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 11:30am Eastern Time. Efraim Grinberg, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Sallie DeMarsilis, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer will host the presentation.
Movado Group, Inc. designs, sources, and distributes MOVADO(R), EBEL(R), CONCORD(R), ESQ(R) Movado, COACH(R), TOMMY HILFIGER(R), HUGO BOSS(R), JUICY COUTURE(R) and LACOSTE(R) watches worldwide, and operates Movado company stores in the United States. Movado Group, Inc. also plans to launch a collection of SCUDERIA FERRARI(R) watches beginning in fiscal 2014.
SOURCE: Movado Group, Inc.
ICR, Inc. Rachel Schacter/Allison Malkin 203-682-8200
Copyright Business Wire 2013


text:
Think you've got videogame gold in your closet? Bring it to PAX East and we'll tell you if it's trash or treasure.
I am excited to bring you the official news that I'll be hosting a panel at this year's Penny Arcade Expo East, to be held March 11-13 in Boston. The panel, tentatively titled "Videogame Antiques Roadshow: Are Your Old Games Actually Buried Treasure?" will be a live Pawn Stars-style show in which our panel of game collecting experts will talk about the items that audience members bring with them to the show.
Besides me, we'll have Frank Cifaldi, a 1up.com editor who specializes in finding and writing about unreleased game prototypes at Lost Levels. And there's also Mike Mika, head of development at Other Ocean Interactive and owner of one of the most impressive game collections in the world.
The panel will take place on Saturday March 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the Manticore Theatre.
We'll go over the history of the items, bring up some interesting trivia about why they're collectible (or not!) and finally take our best guess at the market value. Anyone with an interest in collecting will find this to be an interesting and unpredictable hour.
But we need help! While we are looking forward to surprise walk-up participants from the audience, we would ideally like to get in touch with anyone that knows they want to participate. If you're interested in having your collectible evaluated by our panel, send an email to email@example.com. You can also drop us a line on the Facebook event page.


text:
At the time of reporting, the valueof Bitcoin is around $7,300 USD today after its past fall of around $6,895 USD in August.As seen for now,Bitcoin seems to be stabilizingabove the $7,000 USD mark.
As per previous month, Bitcoin remainedwithin themid-$6,000 region,faced troubles toovercome the $7,000 USD resistance level and demonstrate asturdyvolume to signalcorrectmid-term recovery. However, starting from this month, the cryptocurrency seem to be performing quite good.
Throughout starting from this month, the weak volumes of Bitcoin andalternativemajor cryptocurrencies like Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Ripple etc seem to have a positiveimpact on theshorttrend of the crypto market.
The daily volumes of Bitcoin and Ethereum, the two major digital currencies, seem to be stabilizing. Bitcoin saw a total high percentage change of 3.26 % while Ethereum saw a total hike of around 2.99 % today at the time of reporting.
However, in this periods of instability and uncertainty,particularlywith Bitcoin,it’s always an extraordinaryriskto speculatethe prices of tokens as cryptocurrencies now a days.


text:
Nigeria:Operators Urged to Improve Investment in Mobile Money
Banks and other mobile money operators have been advised to significantly increase their investment in mobile money technology so as to encourage more users of that means of money transfer.
A Lagos-based research and consulting firm, Ciuci Consulting, stated this in a report titled: “Making Mobile Money Move: Keys to Accelerating the Growth/Development of the Mobile Money Industry in Nigeria.”
For instance, it showed that Safaricom invested over $30 million into M-Pesa, Vodacom spent $25 million, while MTN Uganda invested about $10 million in its initial investment in that space.
The report added: “What is crucial to mobile-money success is the willingness of the business to make significant upfront investments and patiently wait for impact at scale.
“In the past, successful mobile-money companies have committed more funds than expected to make mobile money move. Mobile banking is not simple; it requires a thorough, careful understanding of customers and agents, as well as a willingness to invest in the buy-in of both these groups. If companies are not willing to invest and stay committed, it becomes difficult to grow and develop the industry.”
The report stated that in a country of over 160 million people, with an adult population of about 87.8 million, the banking sector could only boast of 22 million bank accounts, while more than 50 million people that have mobile phones lack access to basic banking services.
It also noted that a lot of low-income earners save and transfer money either through friends, families or through informal society, saying that such transactions are always associated with costs and are highly susceptible to theft.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had licenced 20 Mobile Money Operators (MMO) to deliver mobile payment solution to the banking and non-banking community. Most of the banks also offer such service.
“Given the current realities within the mobile money market in Nigeria, the MMOs have not reached a sustainable scale in the growth and development of the mobile money technology. The players have not gained much traction for financial services beyond simple transfers and payments.
“A critical examination of the success story of Kenya’s M-Pesa money-transfer service, which inspired many recent deployments around the world, reveals there are three critical success factors to implement after a provider has launched its deployment and starts to face execution problems. They are: effectively manage the agent network, create a compelling product and sustain corporate commitment,” the report stated.
It also pointed out that there was need for increased marketing efforts by MMOs to build a customer base of frequent users.


text:
Ernesto, Torrent Freak, 5/28/16 The Business Software Alliance, a trade group representing Adobe, Apple and Microsoft, is known to offer cash payments to people who help them find companies that run unlicensed software. Today we speak with...
Scott & Scott, LLP voted “Technology Law Firm of the Year – USA” by Finance Monthly.
Michael O’Dwyer, ipswitch, 4/11/16 Human error is responsible for more than half of all security breaches as of last year, making employees the biggest cyber threat of all. Shadow IT, on the other hand, is...
Julie Bort, Business Insider, 4/9/16 Software-licensing rules aren’t always clear, and some Microsoft partners say the company is taking advantage of that.
Bruce Harpham, CIO, 2/24/16 Software compliance can be a tricky – and expensive – challenge for most IT leaders. Luckily, tech solutions let you manage software assets.
Katherine Noyes, ComputerWorld, 10/13/15 Oracle’s aggressive licensing practices have gained it considerable notoriety over the years, and on Tuesday, a Texas law firm specializing in technology issued a warning urging enterprises to beware.


text:
5 Apps You Just Can’t Miss This Week; Friends? Family? Nah, Facebook Knows You Best; The 7 Biggest Lies You’ve Been Told About Hacking; Google’s Chromecast, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, or Roku’s Streaming Stick? Pro tip: Respond to calls with text messages in iOS; Google Classroom app now available for Android, iOS; How to stop autoplay videos; Facebook Unveils Facebook At Work; Google Drive update brings new look, features; How to find your Wi-Fi password in Windows 8.1; SnoopSnitch – Surveillance Detection for Android Phones; Google Translate can now interpret signs and conversations in real time; How to Save Your Voicemails Forever; 3 Ways Facebook Might Just Save Your Life Someday; McAfee Raptor – real-time behavior detection technology (free).
New report: DHS is a mess of cybersecurity incompetence – A large, embarrassing, and alarming Federal oversight report has found major problems and grave shortcomings with DHS cybersecurity programs and practices across the board.
75% of writers in free countries self-censor due to fears of mass surveillance – There’s a worldwide war on free speech. Despite 1.5 million who marched under the banner of free expression in France, 54 people have been arrested for online comments. The UK wants encryption outlawed and backdoors in apps to be mandatory. CISPA is back in the US. 75% of journalists in democratic countries already self-censor due to fears of mass surveillance.
5 Apps You Just Can’t Miss This Week – It seems like hundreds of new iPhone apps pop up every week, but which ones should you bother trying? We explored the App Store and found five apps actually worth downloading.
Tested: One Streaming Stick to Rule Them All – What should you buy: Google’s Chromecast, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, or Roku’s Streaming Stick? Here’s how they stack up.
Pro tip: Respond to calls with text messages in iOS – Have you ever been in the middle of a call, only to be interrupted by another call coming in? It can be annoying, especially as the other caller hears the “buzz” of the iPhone silent ringer. Sure, you could enable Do Not Disturb mode before making your first call, but why not do something a little more reactive instead? Let’s take a look at how to set this up so that you can easily send a message with one tap to a caller to let them know if you’re busy or on another call.
Google Classroom app now available for Android, iOS – For a long time, teachers tried to manage smartphone usage in class, trying their best to make sure kids weren’t screwing around instead of learning. Now, educators have a reason to let kids stare at screens, as the Google Classroom app is now available on the Play Store. The app will let students and teachers stay on track, digitally. Homework assignments, future work deadlines, and assignment collection are all part of the app’s feature list. The app is free for anyone with a Google Apps for Education account.
How to stop autoplay videos – You open a webpage and start reading. But after a few seconds, you hear someone talking. A video has started automatically without your permission. Here’s how to keep this annoyance from happening.
AllCast for iOS streams all your media to your TV – Previously an Android-only app, AllCast can connect to a wide variety of devices and stream from local and cloud-based storage alike.
Google Drive update for Mac, PC brings new look, features – Google Drive might be the best cloud storage solution there is. It’s available anywhere, securely tucks your files away, and is free to use. For mobile, it’s amazing. For the desktop, Drive is fairly utilitarian, but that’s about to change. Today, Google is announcing a few changes to Drive for PC and Mac, which will give users more control and a new menu. The new-look drop-down menu provides updates on uploads, and even gives you access to recently synced items.
Facebook Unveils Facebook At Work, Lets Businesses Create Their Own Social Networks – About six months ago, we reported that Facebook was working on a new product aimed squarely at the enterprise market under the working title, “FB@Work.” Now that product is officially coming to light: today the company is launching new iOS and Android apps called “Facebook At Work,” along with a version of Facebook at Work accessible via its main website, which will let businesses create their own social networks amongst their employees that are built to look and act like Facebook itself.
Google Maps for Android and iOS updated – Google Maps has been updated for both Android and iOS, bringing users both new features and improvements. This takes iOS users up to version 4.2.0 (the version varies for Android users), and while there are a couple similarities between the two updates, both give users different new features on their respective platforms. The most notable new feature for iOS users is the ability to see weather for cities around the globe; Android users, meanwhile, can see their contacts when they’re searching for addresses in Maps.
How to find your Wi-Fi password in Windows 8.1 – A forgotten Wi-Fi password isn’t a problem for me and my omniscient laptop, but it is a problem for, say, my brother, who needs the password if he wants to jump on the network with his Japanese iPhone. My mom is hunting for the Post-it, but prospects are lookin’ bleak. Luckily, there’s an easy way to reverse-lookup your Wi-Fi password on a computer that already technically knows it. Here’s how to find saved network passwords in Windows 8.1:
Google Translate can now interpret signs and conversations in real time – The new feature lets you point your phone’s camera at a sign or any other text and have it translated into another language, which will appear live on the screen in a sort of augmented reality. The update isn’t live yet — so we can’t say how effective Word Lens is inside of Translate — but Google’s GIF of the new feature makes it look seriously impressive and like a tool you’ll want to have when traveling.
Microsoft Squeezes Windows Phone To $81 With Entry Level Lumia 435, $93 With Lumia 532 – Microsoft has announced two new Lumia smartphones running its Windows Phone 8.1 mobile OS, both focused on beefing up the portfolio at the lower end and expanding the platform’s appeal in emerging markets to try to compete with budget Androids. Specs for the 3G Lumia 435 include a 4 inch 800 x 480 LCD display, a 1.2GHz dual-core chip, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a 2MP rear camera. So it’s certainly going to be a budget experience. The Lumia 532 has the same display and form factor but its innards are beefed up to a quad-core 1.2 GHz chip. And its rear camera is 5MP. Microsoft touts built in Skype integration, noting its a front-facing camera supports video calls.
Samsung Z1 smartphone: powered by Tizen, destined for India – Samsung has taken the wraps off its new Tizen-powered smartphone, the Z1. This relatively modest smartphone is the first running Tizen that will be offered to users in India, and it will be bringing with it things like regional entertainment apps and a simplified UI. The handset is tailored to certain needs found in emerging markets, including elements that help keep data use to a minimum. The handset is available as of today for INR 5,700 (about $92 USD).
Google Brings The Account Switcher To The Stable Version Of Chrome – Many people are satisfied with just one Google account, but not all – especially in a world where many work and enterprise accounts are handled via Google, people often find the need to switch among two or more. Back in August, Chrome’s Beta releases started to incorporate an Account Switcher that allows users to easily change which account they use to manage their browser’s bookmarks, tabs, history and more. It’s also great for shared computers, and for letting guests browse without risking potential embarrassment on either side, and now it’s rolling out to the stable version of Chrome on the desktop.
TextBlade fits a QWERTY keyboard in 8 smart multitouch keys – TextBlade is composed of four pieces, all of which snap together into a small block for storage and transport. There’s a stand, a spacebar, and two keyboard halves with the buttons. The spacebar and the two parts of the keyboard connect magnetically and tether to your phone or tablet over Bluetooth 4.0. Each of the eight keys has several letters, symbols, and modifiers on it. Each time you press a letter, the entire key depresses, but TextBlade uses multitouch technology to keep track of which letter your finger was on when the button activated. So it knows the difference between W and X, even though they both trigger the same physical switch when pressed.
Why you might still want an optical drive – Optical drives, that can read and write CDs, DVDs, and sometimes Blu-ray discs, have been an important part of the PC universe for a long time. But there’s less and less need for them. PC manufacturers have good reasons not to include the drives. Unlike CPUs and SSDs, optical drives can’t shrink much. They therefore add bulk to laptops, and nobody wants a bulky laptop. But in my opinion, they shouldn’t disappear entirely.
Why 2015 is the year of Linux on the everything-but-desktop – For a moment, I felt like Linux wasn’t very present. Then it hit me: everything was running Linux! Panasonic smart TVs will run Mozilla’s Firefox OS, and that’s based on Linux. All those Android game consoles, like Razer’s Forge TV that can stream games from your PC, use a Linux kernel. Samsung’s shift to Tizen for their smart TVs means those TVs were running Linux. LG’s smartwatch running Open webOS is based on Linux. TVs with Opera TV, Android TV, and practically every other platform were Linux-based. Every little Android device runs on top of Linux.
How to Save Your Voicemails Forever – Most phones don’t make that as easy as it ought to be. Apple’s iPhone will back up voicemails to your computer along with everything else, but they’re stored in a funky file format that’s not easily played by most software. Most Android phones, meanwhile, store your voicemails on off-site servers. So what should you do if you’ve got a voicemail that’s really worth saving? The solution involves some free software and an affordable purchase, but it’s doable. Here’s how:
The 7 Biggest Lies You’ve Been Told About Hacking – As a citizen of the 21st century, it’s increasingly important to arm yourself with some basic facts about hacking, cybersecurity, and the real threats they pose, as well as those they don’t. With that in mind, here are seven common misconceptions you might have about hacking.
Surveillance Detection for Android Phones – SnoopSnitch is an app for Android devices that analyses your mobile radio traffic to tell if someone is listening in on your phone conversations or tracking your location. Unlike standard antivirus apps, which are designed to combat software intrusions or steal personal info, SnoopSnitch picks up on things like fake mobile base stations or SS7 exploits. As such, it’s probably ideally suited to evading surveillance from local government agencies. The app was written by German outfit Security Research Labs, and is available for free on the Play Store. Unfortunately, you’ll need a rooted Android device running a Qualcomm chipset to take advantage.
Adobe patches remote code execution and keylogging flaws in Flash Player – Adobe Systems fixed nine vulnerabilities in Flash Player that could allow attackers to record users’ keystrokes or take complete control of their computers. The updates, Flash Player 188.8.131.527 for Windows and Mac and Flash Player 184.108.40.2069 for Linux, address seven remote code execution vulnerabilities, an information disclosure flaw that can be exploited to capture keystrokes and a lower-risk file validation issue.
Ham-fisted phishing attack seeks LinkedIn logins – The emails warn potential victims of “irregular activities” on their account and say a compulsory security update is required. The emails include an HTML attachment that purports to be a form for performing the update. The HTML file is actually a copy of LinkedIn’s website and login page, wrote Satnam Narang, senior security response manager with Symantec, in a blog post. But the website code in the file has been modified, so if a user logs in, their account credentials are sent to the attackers.
U.S. government lurked on Silk Road for over a year – In a New York federal court, the prosecution begins its case against the alledged mastermind of the Silk Road underground marketplace.
Snapchat charging top dollar for ad space – Snapchat has already given way to advertising, with the service letting loose their vanishing ads to unwitting users late last year. The ads show up under the ‘recents’ tab for both iOS and Android, with the obvious goal being clicks from users and returned revenue for Snapchat. Ads don’t just show up, though; they’re carefully seeded, with proprietary content often cajoled from an advertising partner. A new report suggests Snapchat is taking a hard-line stance on ad space, demanding — not asking — for $750,000 per run.
GoPro Taps Vislink To Offer Live HD Broadcasting – The companies have been working together to build a small live transmitter that can be attached to GoPro Hero4 cameras, taking the professional use of the GoPro camera line to a whole new level. Thus far, professional athletes and television networks alike use GoPro to cover a wide swath of sporting events. But to capture in HD, GoPro has always limited users to onboard recording, meaning that the footage could only be used in post-production. With this partnership, GoPro is putting its cameras in the ring with highly expensive professional equipment.
Scroogled no more: Microsoft’s anti-Google campaign slinks away for good – Microsoft’s sleazy ad campaign against Google is no more, as the “Scroogled” website has quietly vanished. As Winbeta points out, Scroogled.com now redirects to a new site called Why Microsoft. Instead of just bashing Google, the site tries to point out advantages of Microsoft enterprise services over competitors, including Google, Amazon and Cisco.
Games and Entertainment:
This huge, beautiful sci-fi RPG is coming to the Wii U – The sci-fi role playing game is the follow-up to Xenoblade Chronicles, a cult classic for the Wii (which itself is getting a remake for the New Nintendo 3DS XL). It takes place in a massive open-world unlike anything on Nintendo’s home console; it’s filled with startling landscapes and epic-sized monsters. You can also ride around in crazy mechs. Unfortunately, it’s unclear just when you’ll be able to venture into that world and explore — Xenoblade Chronicles X has no specific release date, but is expected to launch in 2015.
The 10 Best Gaming Keyboards – If you’re a gamer, you take your choice of keyboard seriously. We’ve rounded up the 10 best keyboards you can buy, along with a brief guide to help you find the keyboard that’s right for you. When your keyboard doubles as your game controller, it’s more than just a tool for typing. It is to the gamer what the katana is to a samurai (or cyborg ninja). It becomes more than a typing tool—the keyboard becomes a weapon, an extension of yourself, your interface with the digital world. For anyone that cares about PC gaming, it pays to know what makes a keyboard great, what differentiates one from another, and what’s on the market today.
The Interview is coming to Blu-ray and DVD on February 17th – It was only a matter of weeks ago when Sony Pictures Entertainment sheepishly admitted it had no plans to release The Interview after suffering a massive data breach — reportedly at the hands of North Korea. It’s pretty incredible how much has changed since then. We’ve seen the Seth Rogen / James Franco comedy make its way through a limited theatrical run, pushed out to every video-on-demand service known to man, and now we’ll be getting a physical media release to close it all out. Today, Sony Pictures announced that The Interview will come to Blu-ray and DVD on February 17th.
Nintendo does the unthinkable, makes Pokemon Shuffle free-to-play – Nintendo has announced Pokemon Shuffle, which is basically a match-3 puzzle game using the ever-popular Pokemon name and characters. You won’t be paying anything to play this game even though Nintendo could get away with selling it on a cart. Instead, it’s a free download from the 3DS eShop. Check out the trailer:
VH1 Classic to run the ‘longest-ever’ TV marathon with 19 days of Saturday Night Live – FXX set the record for longest TV marathon ever last year with a week and a half straight of The Simpsons, but VH1 Classic is about to top it. The network is preparing to run episodes of Saturday Night Live for 19 days straight, starting with the most recent seasons and running back toward its first episodes. That means the network won’t make it through SNL’s complete history — for better or for worse — and is instead going to be selectively showing its best moments. Even so, VH1 says that this will still make for the longest-ever TV marathon dedicated to a single series.
Off Topic (Sort of):
MemoryMirror: trying on clothes using a smart mirror – Our future will involve “trying on” clothing at stores without removing a single garment, something achieved through the use of smart mirrors. MemoMi’s MemoryMirror has given us a glimpse (pun intended) of this future, allowing customers to stand in front of it and see their digital visage in the reflection adorned with outfits other than the one they’re wearing. It’s simple, fast, and is (soon) coming to a store near you, assuming you live near a certain Neiman Marcus department store in California.
Retailers use new tech to track you in stores — and in dressing rooms – Smart shelves know what products you touch, shopping carts come loaded with tablets, and dressing room mirrors track what you try on and ask for your phone number. The National Retail Federation’s annual trade show reveals how tech changes the way we shop.
What’s the biggest factor determining the sound of your music: Recording, mixing or mastering? – The Audiophiliac interviews mastering engineer Dave McNair about who should get most of the credit for great sounding recordings, and his answer may surprise you.
Obama Calls On The FCC To Clear The Way For Community Broadband – Municipal broadband is a rapidly heating battleground among the president, his administration, and Congressional and FCC Republicans. Should all cities and communities be free to build municipal broadband networks to serve their citizens? The issue is perhaps surprisingly contentious. In a speech this morning, President Obama called for a full-court press against rules that bar communities from constructing their own Internet networks:
Rapere: The drone that hunts other drones – A team of commercial drone developers are creating a drone whose sole purpose is to seek, intercept and destroy other drones. When activated, the drone will seek out other drones using an array of 12 low-res 90 fps cameras, hover above them and drop a piece of rope, which will tangle in the target drone’s rotors, felling it from the sky. It is able to tell the difference between a bird and a drone, the team said.
Friends? Family? Nah, Facebook Knows You Best – Be careful what you “like” on Facebook: Innocuous clicks on Minecraft, the Bible, and Harley Davidson could say more about your personality than you think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge and Stanford University found that computers can more accurately assess someone’s personality than family or lifelong friends.
3 Ways Facebook Might Just Save Your Life Someday – Facebook is still in its early days of experimenting with ways to leverage its scale to serve as a safety platform. But if the motivation behind putting Amber Alerts on Facebook is that information spread via the site has helped bring missing children back home before, then we should expect Facebook to launch even more ways to help the public — some of which might just save your life someday. Here are some possibilities:
Something to think about:
“If you weren’t “Je suis Charlie” before the events of last week in Paris, it doesn’t count now.”
– Rex Murphy – Canadian commentator and author
Today’s Free Downloads:
McAfee Raptor – McAfee Raptor is a real-time behavior detection technology that monitors suspicious activity on an endpoint. Raptor leverages machine learning and automated, behavioral-based classification in the cloud to detect zero-day malware in real time.
Once installed, Raptor monitors and detects files exhibiting malicious behaviors on the endpoint.
Click Clean to remove malicious executables and its traces from your system.
Note: If you wish to remove the malicious files a later point of time, click Dismiss.
FoxyProxy Standard – FoxyProxy is a Firefox extension which automatically switches an internet connection across one or more proxy servers based on URL patterns. Put simply, FoxyProxy automates the manual process of editing Firefox’s Connection Settings dialog. Proxy server switching occurs based on the loading URL and the switching rules you define.
Animated icons show you when a proxy is in use. Advanced logging shows you which proxies were used and when. QuickAdd makes it a snap to create new URL patterns on-the-fly. FoxyProxy is fully compatible with Portable Firefox, has better support for PAC files than Firefox itself, and is translated into more than 34 languages.
In Pursuit of Freedom – The Pushback Continues:
David Cameron: I’m off to the US to get my bro Barack to ban crypto – report – UK Prime Minister David Cameron is hoping to gain the support of US President Barack Obama in his campaign-year crusade to outlaw encrypted communications his spies can’t break, sources claim.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Conservative Cameron would like to see left-leaning Obama publicly criticize major US internet companies like Facebook and Google, many of which have made strong encryption the default on their online services.
The President hasn’t taken a public position on the issue so far, but several prominent federal law enforcement officials have given internet firms lashings over their use of encryption tech, which they claim undermines national security interests.
Last September, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey went as far as to describe encrypted communications as “something expressly to allow people to place themselves above the law.”
According to the WSJ’s sources, Cameron plans to try to nudge Obama “in the direction of what the FBI has said about this.”
Don’t use Charlie Hebdo to justify Big Brother data-slurp – Data protection MEP – The European Parliament’s data protection supremo says calls from national leaders to monitor all airline passengers are “playing into terrorists’ hands”.
German MEP Jan Philipp Albrecht, who heads the Parliament’s overhaul of EU data protection laws, described the plans for mass storage of PNR (passenger name record) data as Orwellian.
“EU home affairs ministers are demanding Big Brother measures entailing blanket data retention without justification,” he said. “This approach is a distraction from the actual measures needed to deal with security and terrorist threats and provides a false sense of security for citizens, at the expense of their civil liberties.”
According to Albrecht, the scheme is actually illegal, as the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled last April that the mass storage of private data, without specific grounds or time limit, is contrary to the EU charter of fundamental rights.


text:
During the week ended May 23, over-the-counter solar renewable energy credit markets were volatile, holding firm in New Jersey, swinging higher in Maryland and tumbling in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
Massachusetts SREC I and II prices sank sharply as buying interest waned. The Massachusetts vintage 2018 solar I market was assessed at an index of $404.83/MWh, with the vintage 2019 SREC I market eyed at $380.92/MWh, losing $12 to $14 on the week. Massachusetts vintage 2018 SREC IIs notched an average at $301.50/MWh, with vintage 2019 SREC IIs coming in at $302.92/MWh, tumbling $29.00 and $14.50, respectively, from the week before.
As usual, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, or DOER, will hold the state's annual clearinghouse auction in July. The auction is designed as a price support mechanism for the market in years when more SRECs are produced than compliance buyers need.
The SREC compliance obligation — the amount of SRECs suppliers are required to purchase in any given year — is determined by a formula that takes into account the amount of SRECs to be generated, SRECs banked from previous periods, and the number of SRECs deposited and purchased in the clearinghouse auction.
The DOER said auction accounts are now open for deposits, which will be accepted through June 15. However, because the SREC I and II markets are undersupplied, the agency said it does not anticipate that there will be a need for deposits into either auction I or II accounts this year. The DOER is encouraging entities to sell their SRECs in the over-the-counter market before the June 15 deadline.
"Given current market pricing, SRECs and SREC IIs sold outside of the auction will likely be substantially more valuable to owners and will avoid unnecessary Alternative Compliance Payments being made by retail electricity suppliers," the agency added.
In Massachusetts, the Alternative Compliance Payments rates for the 2018 compliance year are $426/MWh for solar I and $350/MWh for solar II.
Elsewhere, buying interest worked to lift Maryland SREC prices, with reporting year 2019 SRECs priced at $73.75/MWh, rising almost $13 week over week. Maryland reporting year 2020 SRECs were up more than $7 on the week to an index at $67.00/MWh.
Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said he will allow Maryland Senate Bill 516, which will hike the state's renewable portfolio standard, to become law without his signature. The bill will require the state to get half of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. In early April, Maryland SREC prices spiked $30 after the legislation was approved and made its way to the governor.
New Jersey solar markets were unchanged during the week ended May 23 amid limited buying activity. Garden State energy year 2019 SRECs were flat at an average of $231.08/MWh, and energy year 2020 SRECs were steady at $231.42/MWh.
Following recent strength, Pennsylvania SREC markets eased during the week ended May 23. Pennsylvania reporting year 2019 SRECs ran at $43.75/MWh, down 83 cents, with reporting year 2020 SRECs assessed at $50.67/MWh, faltering $1.50 on the week.
Pennsylvania solar prices had been aimed higher in recent weeks, drawing support from the introduction of legislation in the Pennsylvania General Assembly designed to increase the demand for wind and solar in the state. Under Senate Bill 600, the state's alternative energy portfolio standard would be updated for the first time since it was established in 2004. The bill would expand the Tier I requirement from 8% by 2021 to 30% by 2030 and would expand the solar carve-out from 0.5% by 2021 to 10% by 2030.


text:
Renesas has decided to go flat out in its production of USB 3.0 host controllers as demand for the serial interface standard increases.
The outfit said that it will double production of USB 3 controllers this year. Already the outfit has shipped 30 million units of its USB host controller, the µPD720200, since its introduction in September 2009.
Renesas wants to produce six million units a month from its various plants. Yukihiko Matsuda, the outfit's associate general manager, industry and network business division, said that the standard was increasingly being adopted and there were shedloads of orders.
He added that the company's product lineups will continue to evolve. These host controllers are designed into PCs and PC peripherals to provide support for USB 3.0 interfaces which support 5Gbit/s data rates, he said.


text: Bottega Veneta will open its largest store in Hong Kong (and Southeast Asia) this week, and creative director Tomas Maier has created a handbag to commemorate the event. The Hong Kong bag (HK$29,500) is a soft-constructed top-handle style with a shoulder strap and minimal hardware. Made from nappa leather in Bottega Veneta's signature weave, it comes in an urban metallic grey or a versatile light brown. Only 200 pieces are available worldwide, with 150 in Hong Kong. The boutique opens on Thursday at shop G318A, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, tel: 2739 6865.


text:
the cannabis industry will bring in $60 million in tax revenue over the next two years
Cannabis has long been used for hemp fibre, for hemp oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug.
In 2014 there were an estimated 182.5 million cannabis users (3.8% of the population aged 15–64)
It is physically impossible to overdose on cannabis.
To satisfy the UN Narcotics Convention, some cannabis strains have been bred to produce minimal levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
Rates of obesity are 33% lower in cannabis users.
59 percent of American voters believe cannabis should be legal.
Spread the love


text:
In a recent survey done by a Find & Save website, it has been established that shoppers are now doing more shopping through Mobile in recent years.
Their survey finding includes:
Mobile Apps Popularity –
– 40% of the shoppers are using mobile apps for their shopping.
– 30% are considering for using the mobile app in coming days.
Mobile Sale Alerts –
– 51% of shoppers interested in receiving notifications regarding holiday offers, deals and sales.
– 20% of shoppers already receiving these types of notifications via mobile apps.
Mobile Coupon Codes –
– About 79% of the shoppers are motivated to take the snap of their bills for taking rebate of $20.
– About 86% of the shoppers are doing for this to take the rebate of less than $10.
Other findings include:
– Significant increase in searching for sales online: About 70% of them are doing mobile research before going for shopping.
– About 77% of shoppers are using mobile phones for their shopping. These may include finding nearby in-stores, store directions, comparing the prices, finding free coupon codes, promo codes, deals, discounts and offers for online shopping and in-store shopping.
These are the main reason why all shopping websites, coupon sites and big brands are already have their own mobile apps on Play Store, iOS app store or Windows store. Also, many eCommerce retailers are already launched web browser extensions so that they can get every news regarding shopping. Apart from that, you can also set an online price alert so you can never miss a big deal.


text:
Lawmakers Looking To Help Microbreweries In Nebraska
Posted: 15 July, 2013
LINCOLN (AP) – Small, independent beer breweries could have an easier time gaining a foothold in Nebraska if some lawmakers have their way.
Three state lawmakers have introduced a legislative study to see what the state can do to help craft breweries expand. The study will examine whether self-distribution could help startup breweries succeed. It also will examine how they’re taxed relative to larger brewers. Last year, Nebraska passed a law that doubles the production limit of microbreweries to 20,000 barrels of beer per year. One barrel contains 31 gallons, or about two kegs of beer.


text:
Singtel says it will work with the telecoms equipment maker to identify possible applications of 5G networks for consumers and businesses, including trials for potential technologies on the mobile network.
Showing results 1 to 20 of 1,865
Keeping applications reliable and available is a key challenge for most data centers. Veeam believes its Availability Suite V8 is the best answer but it depends upon if you rely solely on x86-based solutions.
Australian emergency service agencies want access to GPS data on phones to locate callers in emergencies, but Telstra has said it is up to users to ensure that GPS applications are turned on.
QuickFire Networks' technology includes T-Video, an appliance that is designed to sit in a 1U rack and do nothing but process and transcode video. Welcome to Facebook's data centers.
T-Mobile continues to push US wireless carriers. AT&T responded quickly to rollover data, but has limits on how much can be stored and when it can be used.
The Australian Taxation Office is seeking applications for a new multi-use list to support the agency's foray into big data.
Regardless whether they are in the home or the office, Cisco's priority for the International CES and beyond is to serve as the backbone for any products interested in linking up to wireless networks.
The idea of virtualizing a function and then separating its management functions and them putting them under programmatic control has gotten quite a bit of attention in the market over the last year. We've heard about software defined networks, storage, and even whole data centers. Is support of only x86-based systems and their workloads enough?
Hitachi Data Systems has predicted that in 2015, the market will see enterprises deploy their critical legacy applications into a hybrid cloud infrastructure.
The internet of things could be very helpful to organizations or bury them under the weight of operational data from a herd of devices, their software, and their applications. Glassbeam believes its SCALAR is the tool that will make sense of it all.
CA Technologies has advised that in order for enterprises to deal with the move to the application economy, they need to prepare for the unwired enterprise, ambient data, and API-assembled applications.
China is high on the list of suspects as President Obama meets with the Chinese premier to discuss, among other things, cybersecurity.
Its approach isolates applications and their associated data so they can 'float' across multiple locations.
IT vendor launches one-stop portal offering third-party cloud applications and services running on Azure, and inks partnership with SingTel to enable Asia-Pacific customers to move their data and workload between various cloud environments.
Oracle to open two cloud datacentres for customers who want their applications and data to stay on European soil.
Wireless providers in the United States make it easy to pay more than you should for a smartphone and an accompanying data plan. Here are eight questions you can ask (and answer) to make sure you get the best possible deal.
Intel has signed a deal to acquire over 1,400 patents and patent applications registered by Powerwave Technologies, many of which relate to wireless telecommunications technology.
No, developers will not be allowed to sell your health data for targeted advertising.
Intigua believes that the movement towards software defined data centers, networks, storage and the increasing reliance on virtualization technology means that companies need new tools to manage their management products.
Samsung Electronics has launched access points (AP) for wireless LAN with built-in security that will help businesses save costs in building networks, reports ZDNet Korea’s Cho Mu-hyun.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 Windows 10: You've got questions, I've got answers
- 2 Hands-on with Windows 10: Installing the latest Technical Preview
- 3 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 4 31 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 5 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)


text:
Owner of a 2023 Challenger Hellcat Widebody Jailbreak with only 790 miles,
Brennon Vinet claims that he brought his vehicle in for servicing after encountering some engine problems.
Vinet posted on the Dodge Challenger Owners Club Facebook site,
"They pulled the computer and clearly see it was a faulty engine/lost compression and was their fault."
According to what Dodge told the dealer yesterday, this incident has occurred before.
"Your warranties do not cover the costs of repairing damage or conditions caused by any of the following: Tampering with the emission systems, or with a part that could affect the emission systems."


text:
Apple hires fresh talent for ‘iWatch’ as timing worries grow (TheGlobeAndMail)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has embarked on a hiring spree to tackle design problems with its “iWatch” wrist computer, bringing in fresh expertise amid concern that the launch of its first new product since the death of Steve Jobs could be at least a year away. The company has begun hiring “aggressively” for the project in recent weeks, say people familiar with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s plans for the wearable device, a move that shows it has stepped up development but which raises questions over the ability of its own engineers to develop wearable technology.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) caught in a porn storm (NYSEPost)
There are things that sound unbelievable and then there are things that are outright ridiculous. A Tennessee lawyer has blamed Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) for giving him easy access to porn and getting addicted to it. He alleges that it was because of Apple that he began desiring younger women, had a fall-out with his wife and also suffered from emotional angst due to the failure of his marriage. According to Chris Sevier, the company makes it very easy to view any kind of pornography. …Sevier has demanded that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) should include a porn filter on its products and feels that the company has been negligent with allowing users to access porn content on the internet.
APPLE TO PROBE DEATH OF CHINESE WOMAN WHO USED IPHONE WHEN IT WAS CHARGING (Yahoo)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is investigating an accident in which a Chinese woman was killed by an electric shock when answering a call on her iPhone 5 while it was charging, the U.S. technology company said on Monday. Last Thursday, Ma Ailun, a 23-year-old woman from China’s western Xinjiang region and a flight attendant with China Southern Airlines, was electrocuted when she took a call on the charging mobile telephone, the official Xinhua news agency quoted police as saying on Sunday.
Apple Inc. And Antitrust: More Proof That The Federal Government Is Anti-Consumer (Forbes)
Last week, Federal District Judge Denise Cote ruled that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was guilty of collusion and of fixing the price of e-books. The gist of the case is this: At the time Apple entered the e-book market, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) held a 90% share of the market and sold e-books for $9.99. After Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) entered the e-book market, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)’s market share fell, as did prices of e-books. If you are perplexed in trying to understand how Apple fell afoul of the antitrust brigades for lowering prices to consumers, the key point to grasp is that the federal government is not the friend and defender of the consumer, as popular mythology would have it.
Apple e-book defeat aids Amazon (JournalGazette)
In the retailing wars with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), score one for Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN). A judge’s ruling that Apple violated U.S. antitrust laws by colluding to increase e-book prices gives retailers such as Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) added flexibility to sell digital books more cheaply and gain market share. The decision may also lead to greater government oversight of the iPhone maker’s ability to control pricing in other markets, such as music and movies. “Amazon emerges as the winner from all of the activity related to e-book pricing,” said Tom Forte, an analyst at Telsey Advisory Group in New York.


text:
Maadanei Miki has announced a recall of smoked salmon, due to possible listeria contamination.
The recall pertains to the following product:
Frozen Sliced Smoked Salmon, 500g packages (10x50g), barcode 7290006736086, with production date 07/07/16, and expiration date 03/03/17
This product was sold industrially, not to individual consumers.
Anyone who has purchased this product is instructed not to consume it.
Please contact Maadanei Miki's customer service to arrange your return. They can be reached at email@example.com or 1-700-505-540 0r 03-961-6283


text:
Douglas Santos will be responsible for the executive representation of Sobel through Peniel Management Brazil. Douglas has 25 years of local and international experience in the logistics and foreign trade sector.
According to the company’s CEO, Brian Wills, it is great to have a Sobel sales representative in Brazil to bring the two countries, which are long-term commercial partners, even closer together.
"Over the past six years, Sobel has focused on the Brazilian market, as it has been growing exponentially in the logistics sector. With the addition of Douglas Santos to our team, we now have a Brazilian professional to represent us locally and help us establish ourselves in the local Brazilian supply chain market," says Brian.
Brian adds: "with Brazil being one of the largest economies in the world, it is an extremely important trading partner, especially as it is the largest in Latin America."
The CEO says that, after the opening of offices in Florida, this representation in Brazil is welcomed. "Here at Sobel Network Shipping Co., Inc, we are looking to further expand this trade route. Sobel Network is always looking to the future, so building our connection with Brazil was a key step in our success. Welcome to the Sobel team, Douglas."
About Douglas Santos
Professional with 25 years of experience in Brazil and abroad, Douglas Santos has worked in multinational companies, in the areas of logistics, shipping and foreign trade. Fluent in Portuguese, English and Spanish, Douglas worked for two years in New York, USA. The Sobel representative has an MBA in Business Management and a Bachelor of Business Administration.
About Sobel Network Shipping Co, Inc.
Sobel Network Shipping Co., Inc. is a worldwide freight forwarder, with offices located in New York, Miami and Chicago, providing logistics solutions for over 70 years.
SOURCE Sobel Network Shipping Co., Inc.
ALISO VIEJO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN), (OTCQX: BRCHF), a leading provider of ultra-low power high performance artificial intelligence technology, today announced that Chief Development Officer Anil Mankar will present “Intelligent Edge AI: The Future is Now” at the Linley Fall Processor Conference 2021 in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Santa Clara, California, October…
Posted on 11, October 2021 by EuropaWire PR Editors | This entry was posted in Agriculture, Automotive, Germany, Industrial, News, Technology and tagged Benjamin Hübner, Continental, ContiPressureCheck™, ContiPressureCheck™ monitors, cross-ply tyre, Hans Dietrich, hoof buffers, pneumatic tractor tyre, pneumatic tyres, radial tractor tyres, radial tyre, rubber coated wheels, self-cleaning tyre, T4, TractorMaster Hybrid tyre. Bookmark…
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — ATTOM, licensor of the nation’s most comprehensive foreclosure data and parent company to RealtyTrac (www.realtytrac.com), the largest online marketplace for foreclosure and distressed properties, released its Q3 2021 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows there were a total of 45,517 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions or…
News provided by Instacart Oct 14, 2021, 00:01 ET New retailers H&M, Pharmaprix, Sephora Canada and Staples Canada added to Instacart MarketplaceSame-day delivery expands across Quebec City, Laval, Gatineau, Longueuil, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Granby, Saint-Hyacinthe, Boucherville, Drummondville, Sherbrooke, Châteauguay, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Shawinigan, Lévis, Brossard, Repentigny and BlainvilleSAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Instacart, the leading online grocery…


text:
POTSDAM The Sugar Shack has moved into 141 Market St., the former Tardellis Restaurant, and so far business is looking up, according to owner Karen E. Rayburn.
The restaurant and bakery spent a year and a half at 6585 Route 56. The new location is about the same size, but is closer to downtown. This attracts more customers, Ms. Rayburn said.
Weve met a lot of new people, and all of our old customers followed, she said.
The Sugar Shack uses only half the building. Billys Deli, owned by Cornelius Mahoney, was to move into the other half, but the plan fell apart when Billys closed. The future of the unused space is unknown.


text:
SAS Lab, the innovation hub from the Scandinavian airline, has big ambitions to improve the travel process by getting under passengers’ skin.
As Massimo Pascotto, who heads up the division explains, biometric identification is where we’re all headed for a smooth travel process, but of all the biometric technologies on the market, SAS Lab has found that palm scanning will likely prove most reliable.
This is because other biometric identification is either vulnerable to forgery or uncomfortable for passengers to use.
“Overall, I've been a little bit concerned over biometrics - the problem is what happens once that biometric information is taken. A fingerprint can be duplicated. It's not as secure,” he tells us.
Palm scanners look at the blood vessels in the palm of the hand, a very complex and unique signature for each individual which can only be confirmed by algorithms and is hard to forge.
“You have to scan the palm, and it creates a template, reading the constraints, and transfers this information to an identity token. The next time that you scan, if the token is not identical the algorithm will determine whether it's you. If the scanner receives exactly the same template it will refuse,” Pascotto says.
“Also, it is contactless. We used to have the fingerprint technology four of five years ago. One of the problems is that it's not that reliable. It’s now better, but you’re forcing passengers to touch a reader.”
The advantage to passengers for this type of biometric identification, Pascotto says, is its security and the speed of clearing through access points such as lounges and gates.
“I believe it's something that will happen in the future - being identified by your body on any sort of device,” he says. “The problem I see is that there is still a lot of skepticism from the users."
There is another challenge for biometric technology and it is a familiar one for travel firms - system integration. The data cannot be readily exchanged throughout the travel process, and that will be a challenge to tackle going forward.
SAS Lab has not stopped at palm prints. Pascotto tells us that the company is still experimenting with other contactless proximity identification, including a trial of wearable rings with embedded chips.
For the present, SAS already allows passengers access to lounges with mobile NFC scanners and has recently launched a Samsung Gear S2 app which uses the airline’s new Smart Pass with NFC technology to grant access to the lounge and at the gate.
The airline is also reviewing digital tags for luggage which customers can reuse, but Pascotto tells us that SAS is considering a flexible electronic tag which would also prove more affordable to customers.
“Other airlines have been experimenting using ink display technology. It’s a good technology, but it’s very expensive to produce which has an impact on the consumer. We're looking at another technology, based on electro-carbon, which will be easier to use and cheaper,” he tells us.
This tag works like other electronic luggage tags in the market, connecting with passengers' mobiles to update flight information. “We’re still in the research phase, running the tests now during the summer and after the summer we will know whether we are ready to produce,” Pascotto says.
We asked Pascotto what he believes the dominant digital trends will be over the next five years of travel, and he gave us a curious answer:
“We are looking at 4-5 months rather than 4-5 years because things are changing so quickly,” he said.
SAS Lab takes full advantage of its privileged location in the Silicon Valley of the North to keep up with the latest innovations, working with agile start-ups in not only the Nordics but also California. Pascotto expressed a preference for working with less risk averse companies, those willing to get it wrong and move on and start again.
“We want to give it a try and experiment and use the MVP (minimum viable product) concept, implementing something very small,” he says.
But there are trends in these innovations which Pascotto believes will dominate in future: biometrics, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.
Pascotto believes virtual reality could directly benefit passengers as entertainment, but also indirectly as airlines and airports can use it as a training tool to improve their operations and, as a result, the passenger experience.
Artificial intelligence is taking up a lot of Pascotto’s time just now.
“We are investing a lot on artificial intelligence, including Facebook Messenger and booking. The idea is to expand the service to allow user to answer any questions,” he says.
Another Nordic carrier, Icelandair introduced the first of these smart mobile booking engines just this week. “It’s definitely a trend because it's a new touchpoint, using natural language and allowing customers to ask questions in their own way rather than structured like an app. Humans don't interact like this. People say, 'I need to go to Stockholm tomorrow,’ or within the next few weeks.”
As natural language searches become more common at home and in everyday life, passengers will expect travel providers to keep up.
“This will go to the next level, when you can speak to the phone and get answers, as with the Amazon Echo,” Pascotto says.
With the rapidly changing landscape in these fields, the next five months will be busy for Pascotto, and the five months after that, and the five months after that.
Related reading from Tnooz:
Didi uses big data and biometrics in new safety push (July 2016)
Man uses an NFC chip implanted in his hand as his boarding pass (Jan 2016)
Biometrics and travel – technology for technology’s sake? (Nov 2015)
NB Image by Sean Gladwell/BigStock.com


text:
DHAKA – Garment factory workers at selected textile mills in Bangladesh will soon be paid digitally, as part of an initiative being driven by Rubana Huq, the recently announced president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). Huq, who has shown an encouraging willingness to stand up for the rights of women since her election as leader of the BGMEA, said the move towards digital payment for workers is important as female workers do not always see their wages, as they are either extorted of the sum or their guardians, “which mostly happens to be their husbands or brothers, get hold of it.”
This content is lockedLogin and Upgrade to OR To Unlock The Content!
Garment factory owners will introduce digital salary payments to ensure female workers get full ownership of their earnings and more transparency in payment, said Huq. The digitised payment will start on a pilot basis, said Huq, at a discussion entitled ‘creating the business case of MFS based wage digitisation in the garment sector’, organised by International Finance Corporation (IFC).
“I can say that all 35 members of the current BGMEA board of directors will start paying digitally from the Eid-ul-Azha. We will motivate the other factory owners to do the same as soon as possible,” she said.
Switching to digital payments is said to hold huge benefits for garment industry employers and employees alike.
Paying workers using mobile money, bank accounts and other forms of digital payment can save an average garment factory in Bangladesh approximately 750 hours of staff time per month and reduce monetary costs by up to 85 per cent within two years, according to research by the Better Than Cash Alliance, a United Nations-based partnership to accelerate the transition from cash to digital payments.


text:
China's Consumer Confidence Index soared to a historical high of 114 points in the third quarter of this year, up two points on a quarterly basis, buoyed by improved job prospects and surging consumption power, a new study said on Tuesday.
The Nielsen China consumer confidence index showed the upsurge since the 106 point reading in the fourth quarter of 2016, said the study released on Nov. 22.
The uptrend indicates that "consumer confidence has maintained steady growth in China along with higher incomes for urban and rural residents as the country's economy continued to fare well", the study said.
The findings are in line with China's recent official data. The country's gross domestic product growth stood at 6.8 percent in the July-September period, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
"Since this year, the Chinese economy has shown a relatively obvious trend of structural optimization and adjustment and new growth drivers are taking the place of old ones. The excessive capacity of traditional industries has gradually been solved and new growth points have emerged," said Vishal Bali, managing director of Nielsen China.
"The quality of economic development has improved, with growing indexes of employment, income and prices. Newly emerging sectors such as technology services, financial technology, audio and visual networks, digital economy and shared economy have provided new vitality to the Chinese economy," he said.
What this means is not only more job opportunities for the society, but also new demand for consumption. It has created more possibilities for the transformation and upgrade of China's consumption structure, said Bali.
Nielsen's CCI index measures perceptions of local job prospects, personal finance and immediate spending intentions. Consumer confidence levels above and below a baseline of 100 indicate degrees of optimism and pessimism, respectively.
In the third quarter, the Nielsen report shows job prospects grew from 66 to 68. Immediate spending intentions increased from 56 to 58, the largest increase since 2014. At the same time, personal finance reached 70, up one point from the last quarter.
Bali said the government is pushing for reforms to streamline administrative processes, such as cutting multiple certificates to one. As such reform advances, mass entrepreneurship and innovation has risen and market vitality has been stimulated, he added.
"At the same time, the Chinese economy continues to shift toward a growth model driven by service sector, which adds new jobs and reduces unemployment," he said.
Nielsen finds that beyond enjoyment, consumers are seeking for healthy and environmental lifestyle. Purchase intentions in the next 12 months of water purifiers, smart bracelets, air purifiers, that are indispensable for a healthy living, rose by four points, two points, and two points, respectively.
The growth rate of electric vehicles stands at 30.8 percent, while growth rate of integrated circuits, and solar cells output are 20 percent, the report said.
Consumers are also paying more attention to healthy living, especially health food, according to Nielsen's data. Consumers' health concepts have also expanded, beyond food, to personal care and household cleaning products.


text:
Already have an ACS ID? Log in
Renew your membership, and continue to enjoy these benefits.
Already an ACS Member? Log in here
Choose the membership that is right for you. Discount will be applied automatically at checkout.
Enjoy these benefits no matter which membership you pick.
Most Popular in Materials
The auto manufacturing alliance made up of Renault, Nissan, and Mitsubishi says it will invest up to $1 billion with technology entrepreneurs over the next five years. The first investment by the group’s new venture fund is in start-up Ionic Materials. Founded by Tufts University materials scientist Michael Zimmerman, Ionic has developed a solid-state polymer electrolyte for high-power batteries. The three automakers and Ionic say they will conduct materials research together.
This article has been sent to the following recipient:


text:
The Kindle Paperwhite 5 – 11th Generation.
At only 139$, Check out everything that makes this one of the best deals in the e-Reader world.
If you live out of area, you can get yours here:
https://goodereader.com/blog/product/amazon-kindle-paperwhite-5-with-8gb-of-storage via Technology and News Today https://youtube.com/watch?v=eP2qVME-7Ws&feature=share
Netflix promises at least one new movie every week in 2021
If you’re a Netflix subscriber, the company wants you to know there’s a lot of new movies coming. Netflix has 70 movies on its roster, more than Disney and Warner Bros. combined, according to the 2021 film slate the company released today.
Intel’s Rocket Lake S CPUs are up to 19 percent faster than last year
We’ve known since October that Intel’s upcoming Rocket Lake S desktop CPUs will only support up to 8-core chips, down from last year’s 10-core i9-10900K. The real question is if that step back will be worth it.
Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/intel-rocket-lake-s-desktop-cpu-cores-213046856.html
See ‘The Boys’ Star Karl Urban Succeed Hugh Jackman As Wolverine
Apple added a secret button to your iPhone, and you may not have even noticed
In today’s digital age, it sometimes feels like hardware has taken a back seat to the software that drives our devices. Button of the Month is a monthly column that explores the physical pieces of our phones, tablets, and controllers that we interact with every day.
Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/21540028/apple-iphone-ios-14-back-tap-hidden-secret-button-gesture
What’s on TV this week: ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’
Sports are back in action and even baseball hasn’t given up its season yet, but this week we’ll also see a new Star Trek series. CBS All Access is ready to releaseStar Trek: Lower Decks, an offbeat animated series that focuses on some of the least important members of Starfleet.
Continue Reading . . . https://www.engadget.com/star-trek-lower-decks-cbs-034445944.html
The best subscription gifts for new grads
Now that the student in your life has moved on to “new grad,” you might feel compelled to shower them with gifts. But just throwing piles of future clutter at them in one shot can be overwhelming and not always appreciated.
Continue reading … https://ift.tt/36RZLio
Apple might be preparing to release a new Apple TV sometime soon, as the tvOS 13.4 beta released yesterday references an unreleased Apple TV model, as spotted by 9to5Mac.
Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/6/21126414/apple-tv-new-tvos-13-4-beta-4k-rumor
Nintendo CEO and president Shuntaro Furukawa told investors today that the company has “no plans” to launch a new model of the Switch in 2020.
Continue Reading . . . https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/30/21116200/new-nintendo-switch-model-not-happening-2020
New designer smartwatches are coming soon from Fossil, if listings on the FCC’s website are to be believed. Some detective work by droid-life.com suggests the watches will be released under the Diesel, Michael Kors, Emporio Armani, and the Fossil brand names.
Continue Reading . . . https://www.digitaltrends.com/wearables/fossil-designer-smartwatch-2019-news/
I’ve watched a handful of Marvel movies, but mostly they’ve been ones that aren’t all that connected to the goings-on of the universe at large.
New Solar-Powered Device Can Pull Water Straight From the Desert Air http://buff.ly/2pl6Eme


text:
China’s Tianqi Lithium has announced it plans to buy around a quarter of Chile’s Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM) for $4.1 billion (£3.2bn).
As well as declaring an intent to increase its access to the main ingredient in rechargeable phone and electric car batteries, the world’s second-largest lithium producer by sales has also filed for a $1 billion (£780m) listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
The sale will have to be approved by Chile’s anti-trust regulator as it would give Tianqi Lithium a near-controlling stake in its rival, potentially distorting the global market for the valuable resource.
It hopes to buy 62.5 million SQM shares from Canadian fertiliser firm Nutrien for a price of $65 (£50.60) each.
Nutrien CEO Chuck Magro has said he does not believe the acquisition will trigger competition concerns and added it would likely be completed by the fourth quarter of 2018.


text:
A disruptive force in the form of a car-rental app (in addition to Grab and Uber) is set to change the car ownership industry in Malaysia.
The day has finally come when there is no necessity to own a car, at least in Malaysia, a country which has had aspirations to be the ‘Detroit of the East’ back in 1986. That title has now gone to Thailand while early this year, 49% of Proton, Malaysia’s homegrown car manufacturer has been divested to Gealy, a Chinese car company.
Since the past 2 years, Grab and Uber have dramatically transformed the car-ownership landscape in Malaysia. Many Millennials are saying that they do not need to own cars nowadays – partly because they can’t afford it (due to high car duties) compared with relatively low and stagnant salaries. Worse, those who actually bought find that they are stuck with nine-year car loans – possibly the longest-term car loan in the world.
That’s set to change now. With the two ridehailing services plus the completion of the MRT and LRT in the Klang Valley, it has become quite unnecessary to own your own car. To their credit, Grab and Uber are also constantly coming up with promotions which make it much more worthwhile to book them instead of driving yourself. It takes away the hassle of having to deal with traffic jams, parking and petrol, not to mention maintenance costs.
It even allows you to do other things while someone else is driving such as answering emails, messages, et cetera. It’s almost akin to having your own personal driver – as and when you need them, at a fraction of the cost. The best thing is some of the cars are premium cars the likes of Mercedes, Mazda 6, Peugeot, Honda and Toyota. ” We want to encourage car sharing among the communities, and alternative options are crucial to make that happen. – Cheah “
For those who might want more flexibility or who want to go out of town, hiring a car for the whole day is the best option. Thankfully, there is an app that allows this to be done easily. Introduced since May 2016, GoCar app allows you to book, unlock, and access a car easily. It is touted as an alternative to car ownership and traditional car rental services in Malaysia.
The GoCar app allows renters to rent a Nissan Almera at RM99 (inclusive of insurance) for 24 hours. You can also rent them by the hour, week, or even month.
All you need to do is to upload a valid driver’s license, a Malaysian phone number, your credit or debit card details, and pay a one-time RM50 membership fee.
You can pick up the car at any time of the day at over 50 locations in Klang Valley and Langkawi at selected airports, condominiums, petrol stations, Nissan and Toyota service centres, hotels, and commercial areas.
You can even drive all the way to Singapore by giving one week’s notice for the company to prepare the documentation. If there is a breakdown, there are tow trucks on 24-hour standby nationwide.
The service will eventually be available in Johor Bahru and Penang as well. The company is currently conducting research and development to test the one way drop off between various hubs, according to Alan Cheah, COO of GoCar.
“The primary concern will be the logistical obstacle; we are close to it and hopefully it will be fully activated when we expand to other urban communities,” he told Asian Property Review. That indeed will be a very convenient service as it allows renters to pick up the car from one location and drop off at another location. EXPONENTIAL GROWTH
At the time of writing, there are about 7,000 registered GoCar members. Cheah says the number is growing every week. “This proves the community is definitely ready for the sharing economy.”
Renters are typically between 25 – 45 years old, tech-savvy working professionals, students and expatriates. Most are renting to travel within Malaysia for ‘Cuti Cuti Malaysia’ (holiday in Malaysia), for diving trips, groceries shopping, road trips, food trips, and travelling back to hometown.
The danger of breakdowns is quite minimal as all the cars are not more than 3 years old. The fleet, which consists of about 90 plus cars, comprises mainly mid-sized sedan Nissan Almera. However, the on-demand car rental startup also provides the 5-seater SUV crossover Nissan X-Gear and 7-seater Nissan Grand Livina as options.
Nissan cars are being used now simply because Tan Chong Group (distributor of Nissan cars in Malaysia) has invested in GoCar early last year and became its strategic partner, explains Cheah. Mayflower Car Rental, part of the Tan Chong Group, acquired 55% of GoCar for about US$109,000.
“With their existing fleet, it became a leverage to penetrate the market efficiently and effectively. Call it a helping hand to bring us up to speed in the market. Now, we are interested to work with other brands as well to bring variety and different pricing tiers to our users.”
He adds: “We want to encourage car sharing among the communities, and alternative options are crucial to make that happen. We are always keeping an open mind to see how we can leverage off existing resources and possible partnerships with other industry players to bring our vision to reality.”
When it comes to dealing with cars that are returned damaged, the startup has recourse to the usual options such as deducting from renters’ credit or debit cards. Failing that, it would report to the authorities. “But we hardly need to activate this because most of our users are quite a responsible bunch,” says Cheah.
What happens if the car was stolen? “The renter will be liable for the full cost of the vehicle if it was caused by the user’s negligence; otherwise, they will just need to reimburse the company up to the maximum amount as stated in the schedule to the car rental agreement. According to Cheah, the insurance doesn’t cover flood but special requests can be made if the destination is known to be a flood-prone area. “As for compensation, it is evaluated on a case-by-case basis taking negligence into consideration.”
This startup looks like it will eventually become the car rental equivalent to Grab or Uber – give it a few more months (or years). As the sharing economy becomes more common and widely utilised, apps such as these will become more popular. The bigger picture is what is the impact on the entire car ownership industry? Will car sales plunge – as people’s lifestyle start evolving into one that’s not into ownership of material things. It’s still early days but for sure, this disruption is a step in the right direction.


text:
FlickrThe Colorado Department of Transportation has approved police "pace-cars" for Sundays in January to improve the flow of ski traffic on I-70. Let's forget the logistics and the arguments about whether a police car driving at a steady rate while flashing its light will actually "harmonize ... More >>
Adam Cayton-Holland journeys to the seventh ring of Denver's travel hell.
Goal! follows an immigrant's pursuit of a European fantasy.
Chivas USA is back in Colorado.


text:
Apple doesn’t accept defeat often but this week the tech giant has reportedly signed a deal to spend at least $1.5 billion with Amazon Web Services over the next five years. AWS, of course, is Amazon’s market-leading cloud service and computing platform.
This new deal is not actually the first time that Apple has invested in Amazon’s technology. As a matter of fact, the iPhone maker has spent, on average, more than $30 million on Amazon Web Services every single month during the first quarter this year. That is a gain of more than 10 percent from the same period last year.
Should these conditions hold up Apple will be on track to spend more than $360 million on Amazon Web Services this year. That is $10 million more than last year, according to a report from CNBC. And, of course, a new five-year deal means that these numbers will quite likely continue to increase every year. As a matter of fact, some analysts estimate that should Apple’s investment continue to increase at the same rate, they will most likely spend more than the minimum $1.5 billion mandated in the deal’s contract.
This same report notes that Apple has said, in the past, that it utilizes AWS to support its iCloud storage, but no specifics about this association have been divulged. And Amazon has neither chosen to reveal whether it uses AWS for any other services. Of course, it should also be noted that Apple had previously reported it also uses some of Google’s cloud services as well as some technology from Microsoft, too.
Apple reports that more than 1 billion people use Apple devices, regularly, every month. Obviously, then, this means they have immense computing and storage needs. All that said, Apple is currently at work trying to build its own cloud infrastructure, intended to improve the company’s ability to deliver internet services without having to rely on its friendly competitors. In fact, in January of 2018, Apple plans to spend at least $10 billion on US-based data centers. Then, in December, Apple revealed plans to spend nearly half of that allotment through 2019.